1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly, to an image recording apparatus capable of setting an image recording range even on a recording medium of an irregular size.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image recording apparatuses for conveying a recording medium of a printer, a copier, a facsimile or the like and for executing an image recording process (recording of image data) on one surface or both surfaces of the recording medium are generally known. Examples of such image recording apparatuses include an inkjet image recording apparatus for recording an image by jetting ink onto a recording medium, and an electrostatic image recording apparatus for executing an image recording process by using toner.
For example, in inkjet image recording apparatuses, a recording medium is fed and conveyed when a character or an image is recorded. While a recording medium is being conveyed, a character or an image is recorded by causing a plurality of ink nozzles provided in a nozzle row (recording head) to face the recording medium, for which a recording process is to be executed, and by jetting color inks onto the recording medium being conveyed.
Here, in order to obtain an output image of high quality and prevent the inside of an apparatus from being contaminated by ink, toner or the like, it is necessary that a recording medium is precisely conveyed and an image is recorded on an image recording range suitable for the size of the recording medium.
For this implementation, a configuration where positions of right and left ends of a recording medium being conveyed are detected by providing a mechanism for detecting the right and the left ends of the recording medium being conveyed and image recording is performed based on the detected positions of the ends of the recording medium is generally known.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 04-82765 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1. This document is incorporated herein by reference) discloses an image forming apparatus that can detect an arbitrary medium size of a recording medium. The apparatus according to Patent Document 1 can detect the size of a recording medium being conveyed by providing a plurality of recording medium detectors on a conveyance path.
Additionally, Japanese Patent No. 2550558 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2. This document is incorporated herein by reference) discloses an apparatus for correcting a printing start position on the basis of the amount of a paper deviation detected before printing by providing a detector for detecting the amount of paper deviation in a direction vertical to a conveyance direction of a recording medium.